(VOVworld) – Former French Prime Minister Francois Fillon unexpectedly became the front-runner in Sunday's first conservative primary to choose a nominee for next year’s French presidential election.
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Former French Prime Minister Francois Fillon after the first conservative primary on November 20 (Photo: VNA)
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Fillon won the first round with 44.1 percent of the vote. He will now face off against Bordeaux’s Mayor Alain Juppé, who won 28.2 percent. Former President Nicolas Sarkozy only won 21 percent and had to bow out of the race.
France’s right-wing party will hold a second primary round between Fillon and Juppé this Sunday to choose a candidate for the presidential election. The winner of that will face Marine Le Pen of the National Front party and incumbent President Francois Hollande of the left-wing party in the first general election round, which will take place next April.